TNI in 1977

Robert Borosage appointed Director of IPS.

TNI receives NGO status from the United Nations. TNI is one of seven institutes hailed as a model in a major address by Dutch Minister for Development Cooperation Jan Pronk.

17 January

TNI seminar at IPS with Lloyd Best, Secretary of the Tapia House Movement in Trinidad on Power and Politics in Trinidad & Tobago.

22 January

In a public event, the TNI/CIS report on the uprising in BLACK SOUTH AFRICA EXPLODES is released and a related TNI activity in the UN organised. It is the only detailed account of events in South Africa since the uprising, which began, June 1976, in Soweto. The Observer reviews the arms trade mentioned in the report on its front page. The timing of the release in Europe coincides with the trade union boycott of South Africa.
In this respect the idea starts to establish a dialogue between progressive Africa and Europe. Basil Davidson advises on the level at which such a dialogue should begin.

26 January

TNI seminar at IPS with Lloyd Best on Caribbean Integration Approaches.

24-26 February

Fellows' Meeting in London.

26 February

A conference is held at TNI bringing together social historians from several Dutch universities.

February

TNI Special Report 'US Arms Deliveries to South Africa: The Italian Connection' by Michael Klare.

'The Southern Connection: Recommendations for a New Approach to Inter-American Relations' by the Ad Hoc Working Group on Latin America, coordinated by Roberta Salper, from IPS. Report published in the name of TNI in first issue of CIDE-magazine in April 1977.

5 March

A seminar with Nawal al Sadawi on 'Women in Arabic Societies'.

March

TNI Reprints is published: The Letelier/Moffitt Murder - This is How it was Done By Saul Landau and Ralph Stavins, originally published in The Nation.

Early May

Several IPS fellows and faculty decide to leave IPS and establish a new institute, called the Public Resource Centre in Washington DC. The two TNI members involved in the new centre are Len Rodberg, who coordinated the Health project at TNI, and Jim Ridgeway, editor of the Elements. The new institute gets the copyright of the Elements.

3 June

Philip Agee arrives at TNI. He and his family stay in the TNI building untill proper housing is found.

15 August

TNI seminar at IPS with Joshua Nkomo (leader of ZAPU, Zimbabwe's Patriotic Front) on the situation in Zimbabwe.

31 August

TNI seminar at IPS with Kenrick Rabix (senator and co-chair of the New Jewel Movement: Grenada's opposition party) on the Chile-Grenada Connection.

August

In the TNI PAMPHLET SERIES 3 books are published: 'The International Economic Order', by Michael Moffitt and Orlando Letelier; 'The Crisis of the Corporation', by Richard Barnet; 'The New Gnomes - Multinational Banks in the Third World', by Howard Wachtel.

31 August

TNI seminar at IPS with Kenrick Rabix (senator and co-chair of the New Jewel Movement: Grenada's opposition party) on the Chile-Grenada Connection.

2 September

TNI seminar at IPS with Russel Means, leader of the American Indian Movement.

7 September

Agee receives a 3-month residence permit for the Netherlands.

19 September

The Letelier-Moffitt Memorial Fund for Human Rights is established and the Letelier-Moffitt Awards become an annual convocation of human rights activists in Washington, DC.

ISABEL LETELIER and MICHAEL MOFFITT present a copy of TNI Pamphlet 5 to Senator EDWARD KENNEDY at the Awards Ceremony

21 September

Memorial meeting for Letelier and Karpen Moffitt at KIT, Amsterdam, organised by TNI, Salvador Allende Centre, Chilean Socialist Party and Dutch Chile Committee. Minister Pronk, Relus ter Beek, ANDRÉ Van der Louw en Jorge Arrate as speakers.

29 September

TNI Seminar at IPS with Dr Israel Shahak, Chairman of the Israeli League for Civil and Human Rights.

September-October

First issue of TNI Communications (bimonthly bulletin).

14 October

TNI starts a working group on Southern Africa, headed by Basker Vashee. The group meets once a week.

October

Judy Weiss is in Amsterdam as an intern and also assists Basker Vashee. Also Hanneke van Eldik-Thieme joins the Amsterdam Center staff.

7-10 November

Fellows' Meeting on Imperialism & Socialism.

1 December

Agee's residence permit is not extended. He moves to Germany with his wife, whom he married during his stay in Amsterdam.

7 December

TNI seminar at IPS, with Frank B. Shaffer-Corona (writer and member of the DC board of Education) on 'Latin Perspectives on Immigration'.

8 December

Luncheon seminar at IPS with José Ramos Horta (UN representative), 'East Timor - The Unknown War'.

21 December

Lecture by Ernst Utrecht on 'The Political Economy of South-East Asia (ASEAN countries)'.